Here are some quick thoughts on the biggest games in central Indiana.
IndyStar will provide more detailed coverage of all the events of week two online and in the Sunday print edition on Saturday morning.
IHSAA Football Summary:Week 2 results, highlights and more
Brownsburg 42, Cathedral 35
IHSAA Football Highlights: Brownsburg 42, Cathedral 35
IHSAA Football Highlights: Brownsburg 42, Cathedral 35
Kyle Neddenriep, Wochit
Three takeaways from Class 6A No. 3 Brownsburg’s 42-35 win over second-placed 6A Cathedral in front of nearly 5,000 fans Friday night at Brownsburg’s Roark Stadium.
Course of the game: Brownsburg, after leading 21-0, saw Cathedral climb to 21-14 after his first drive in the third quarter. Brownsburg quarterback Jayden Whitaker hit a second and tenth and fired a perfect 78-yard pass at Corey Smith over the top to score and put Brownsburg 28-14 ahead. It was a big game when Brownsburg needed it most.
turning point: Already leading 7-0, Brownsburg pulled off a big third and a stop late in the first quarter. Cathedral, up for a punt in fourth and second place, was called to delay the game. Brownsburg made a change of staff and called for a punt block after the penalty. It was a smart move. Second defender Jackson Sargent blocked the punt and Brownsburg recovered. The Bulldogs scored on a 1-yard run by Jayden Whitaker two games later to take a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Outstanding Actor: Smith caught five passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. The junior receiver will be a problem for many secondaries this season. But also praise the Brownsburg Special Teams, who completely dominated the game. Two blocked punts became points. Brownsburg coach John Hart called special teams coordinator Dan Schwanekamp the best in the country. — Kyle Neddenriep, IndyStar
31 Center Grove, 27 Carmel
The streak is alive, y’all.
Overcoming injury and adversity, Center Grove came from behind and defeated rival Carmel (31-27) for his 30th straight win.
Here are quick hits from this year’s Copper Kettle battle.
Turning point/course of the game: There was a scary moment in the third quarter when Center Grove’s Eli Hohlt absorbed a hit to the head as he came over the middle of the field. Hohlt was cared for by coaches before being taken off the field by ambulance.
The teams retook the field after a delay of about 10 minutes, and the very next play, receiver Noah Coy slipped behind the Carmel defense and quarterback Tyler Cherry hit him in the crotch for the ultimately game-winning touchdown with 2:25 remaining.
It was an impressive display of resilience and the kind of reaction you’d expect from a two-time state champion.
Player of the Game: Eli Hohlt. Many deserving candidates for this award, but we’ll give Hohlt the nod. He was brilliant return kicks and largely quashed the momentum Carmel had gained on his previous drive.
Notable: Hohlt was just a broken tackle away from returning one for a touchdown in the third quarter – but as it was, his return to the Carmel 48 set up the Trojans’ first go-ahead touchdown of the night (17-13 ). – Brian Hänchen, IndyStar
New Palestine 49, Decatur Central 0
IHSAA Soccer Highlights: New Palestine vs. Decatur Central
The Class 4A No. 1 Dragons can easily deal with the 5A No. 2 Hawks in Week 2 of Indiana High School football action.
Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star
Play of the Game: New Palestine’s offense put up several highlight reel plays against Decatur Central, but its best offensive weapon, running back Grayson Thomas, earned the play of the game. Near the end of the second quarter, Thomas took a handout that moved left and was hit by a Hawks defenseman behind the line of scrimmage. Showing his strength, Thomas stiffly armed the defender to the ground and sprinted up the left touchline. Instead of running out of bounds, Thomas cut back and reached the end zone for the 24-yard touchdown.
turning point: Decatur Central struggled to move the ball, but penalties nullified any positive offense they generated in the first half. Freshman quarterback Bo Polston hit Breydon LaFollette for a 31-yard finish at New Pal’s eight-yard line. A false start and a holding penalty moved the ball from the eight to the 22. On the first and long day, quarterback/linebacker Aycen Stevens threw an interception on AJ Reierson, ending the Hawks’ best scoring opportunity. New Pal scores on the next four drives of the half and goes into the third quarter 35-0.
Player of the Game: Grayson Thomas picked up right where he left off last week. After rushing for 187 yards last week, Thomas rushed 12 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the first half against the Hawks. Thomas ran behind what was perhaps the best offensive line in the state, breaking up touchdown rushes for 51, 44, and 24 yards. The junior was not used in the second half. – Akeem Glaspie, IndyStar
Whiteland 24, Lawrence North 13
IHSAA Football Highlights: Lawrence North vs. Whiteland | week 2
All the highlights from Lawrence North vs. Whiteland in Week 2 of the 2022 Indiana high school football season.
Thomas Butler-Guerrero, special for IndyStar
Player of the Game: Would it be a cop out, so let’s say the entire Whiteland rushing attack? The Warriors attempted eight passes throughout the game. The rest of their production hit the ground as part of their triple option attack. Peyton Emberton carried the ball the most, but he and fellow running backs Gunnar Hicks, Johnathan Crowley and Slate Valentine combined for 253 yards and a touchdown when Whiteland teeted off Lawrence North.
By keeping the ball on the ground, Whiteland also chewed the clock and kept LN’s explosive offense and quarterback Montez Jones off the field, who threw for 283 yards against Avon in Week 1.
turning point: Lawrence North’s offense crossed on his first possession. The Wildcats were gaining at least nine yards in three of four games when a series of snaps derailed the drive into enemy territory and changed the face of the game. Three positive LN games, including a pair of runs from Jones, were disqualified due to penalties.
Facing first and 28th, Jones shot down the sideline to try to make up lost yardage. Whiteland defenseman Maalik Perkins got up and landed the ball at his own 1-yard line. What had been an opportunity for a defining first goal for Lawrence North became an early jolt for the Warrior defense.
Course of the game: With the chance to seal the game, Nyrius Moore-Smith did just that. Whiteland led 17-7 into the fourth quarter. After two possessions, Lawrence North had to act fast. Six games in which the Wildcats gained at least five yards had them inside the Whiteland 30 when Jones floated a short pass down the middle.
Moore-Smith jumped in front of the throw, got his hands on it for his second pick of the game and took off the other way, leaning towards the sideline. Deft footwork helped him stay within bounds and score, extending the Warriors’ lead to three possessions and ennobling the win. – Wilson Moore, Indy Star
Ben Davis 44, Avon 13
AVON — After a tight first half on Friday, Class 6A No. 9 Ben Davis broke away from host Avon with a 44-13 win. The Giants, who equalized their record 1-1, outplayed the Orioles 29-0 in the second half. Avon falls to 0:2.
game of the game: After a crucial penalty from Avon for robbing the kicker early in the third quarter, Ben Davis returned the ball, Alijah Price, running back as a sophomore, took advantage. In third and sixth on the Avon 41, the dodgy 5-6, 165-pounder took the direct snap from the Wildcat formation to the house for a touchdown, whooped defenders and broke tackles at the goal line to give the Giants a 22 -13 lead with 8:52 in the third.
turning point: While both teams had their own troubles with penalties, the kicker penalty against Avon in the third quarter — after the Orioles forced the Giants to punt fourth and 20th — changed the tone of the game. Rather than get the ball at their own 25 from a 15-13 deficit and have a chance to take the lead, the Orioles gave up consecutive touchdowns and were down 30-13 midway through the quarter.
Outstanding performers: Avon had no response to Price. After rushing for 118 yards in Week 1, Price added 135 yards on 12 carries (11.2 yards per carry) on Friday with touchdown rushes of 1, 41 and 40 yards. His performance overshadowed strong plays from junior quarterback Thomas Gotkowski (14-on-18, 189 yards, two passing touchdowns, one rushing TD) and senior receiver Marques Reese (9 catches, 125 yards). — Paul Shepherd, for IndyStar